The Guyana Government on Monday announced the selection of the ‘Guyana Hinterland Programme: Solar PV Grid Tie Farms’ for financing by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
A release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said that the selection was made by ADFD and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as part of the sixth cycle of the IRENA/ADFD Project Facility.
The announcement was made this week during the Ninth Session of the Assembly of IRENA.
The release said that the project will receive a loan of US$8 million in the coming year to install 5.2 megawatt (MW) grid-connected solar PV systems in the hinterland communities of Bartica, Kwakwani, Lethem, Mahdia, Port Kaituma, and Matthews Ridge. It will increase the reliability of electricity supply by moving to the provision of 24-hour sustained electricity generation in these communities. An estimated 34,700 people in the target areas will benefit and around 120 direct and indirect jobs are set to be created throughout the project lifecycle, the release said.
Though the intervention is not expected to entirely replace diesel generation in the regions, the project will allow the utilities to annually reduce their diesel fuel consumption.
The release said that the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. supported by the Guyana Energy Agency, submitted the project proposal to the ADFD Facility in February 2018 for consideration, and was subsequently shortlisted and awarded in January 2019. Guyana was one of only three countries selected to be awarded this funding out of a submission of 112 proposed projects to the ADFD Facility across the globe. The others were from Togo and Liberia.
The IRENA/ADFD Project Facility helps emerging economies access low-cost capital for renewable energy projects, the release added.
